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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Vacuum for Wasps ( Word of caution/ not for Jim F ) Anthony Curcio

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  • From: Steve <sdw12986@aol.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Vacuum for Wasps ( Word of caution/ not for Jim F ) Anthony Curcio
  • Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:34:33 -0500



Anthony Curcio wrote:
Jim writes:


Is there a portable vacuum that has enough suction to suck up a

Yellow Jacket in flight? The ones I've tried aren't powerful enough to

accomplish the task.


I want to add a word of caution ( maybe over cautious) about vacuuming Hornets. Sometimes depending on the length of hose, velocity of the suction, or just some tough Hornets, they don’t die in the vacuum and will reemerge. People, ( No one from nafex) it has been told, in an attempt to ensure the buzzers stay in place, squirt a little aerosol hornet spray into their vacuum. Given the right spray and a little spark from the vac motor, this can ruin your whole day.

Anthony Curcio

I've written, here, about this before. I use a shop vac (wet vac) to clean out yellow jacket nests. An inch of soapy water inside the wet vac, the end of the hose goes near the opening of the nest and enough extension cord to get to the nest. On a warm, sunny day when there is lots of activity, you can catch most of them in a very short time.

I would be concerned about using a small hand held vacuum to catch hornets. They have no sense of humor about projects like this. :-)

I suppose the old rechargeable dust busters might catch them but I would have a container of soapy water in the other hand and not turn the unit off until a moment before I submerged the end of the thing in the water. And then.... well... I'm not sure what to do with it after that!

Steve




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